Electrical devices that are equipped with switches of such kind are particularly manual devices that for safety reasons should only be operable by a person who is qualified to operate such manual devices. The restoring member limits the operating times to the period for which the actuating element is operated, the restoring member normally being recessed in a handle structure that a human hand is able to grasp. However, longer operating times have proven problematic, because the restoring force that has to be overcome with a triggering force on the actuating element to achieve this causes cramping of the hand muscles. Cramping of the hand muscles prevents the person who is operating the manual device from using it steadily and precisely. Certain locking mechanisms, by which the actuating element is locked in a switched position that assures operation of the electrical device, offer a degree of assistance. However, such locking mechanisms harbour risks of injury, which regularly result in operators hurting themselves on the tools of the manual devices.
Simply reducing the strength of the restoring force leads to unreliable turning off of the switch and greatly increases the risk of accidental operation of the switch due to bumps and vibrations.